BMG-TikTok, The Warning, Eight9FLY and More

BMG has renewed and expanded its direct music publishing agreement with TikTok, signaling a deeper collaboration aimed at modernizing digital rights and creating greater value for songwriters. The updated deal enhances reporting and attribution standards across platforms and introduces advanced tools for rights management and promotion. These improvements will give BMG increased visibility into music usage and strengthen its infrastructure for rights holders in today’s fast-evolving, social-first environment.

“BMG truly understands the power of TikTok and the opportunity it creates for songwriters today,” said Tracy Gardner, TikTok’s global head of music business development. “They understand the platform, they embrace innovation, and they work with us hand-in-hand to strengthen rights management and unlock meaningful value. This expanded partnership reflects the trust and momentum we’ve built together — and we’re excited to continue driving growth for the songwriters at the heart of music discovery on TikTok.”

Celine Joshua, evp of global marketing and streaming, said, “This agreement underscores our focus on building scalable, forward-looking partnerships that elevate the role of songwriting in today’s music economy. We continue to invest in systems and structures that protect rights, ensure attribution, and add value for creators across the digital landscape.”

The partnership with BMG comes as TikTok continues to shape music discovery and engagement. In a recent Billboard interview, Gardner emphasized that the platform’s relationship with the music industry remains strong despite layoffs and licensing challenges in 2025. Gardner, who joined TikTok in 2019 after six years at Warner Music, highlighted features like songwriter tagging and e-commerce integrations, including successful livestreams and fan events. Gardner noted that while TikTok requires users to tag AI-generated music, industry-wide solutions remain unclear, calling it “uncharted territory” and emphasizing the platform’s commitment to balancing innovation with rights protection.

Check out the rest of this week’s publishing news below:

The Warning (Universal Music Publishing Group)

Image Credit: Cortesía The 3 Collective

Universal Music Publishing Group has inked a global deal with The Warning, the Monterrey rock trio made up of sisters Daniela (Dany), Paulina (Pau) and Alejandra (Ale) Villarreal. “The Warning represents the strength, creativity, and global impact of a new generation of rock,” said Ana Rosa Santiago, svp of a&r Latin music for UMPG, in a press release. The band first captured global attention with their now 26-million stream Metallica cover of “Enter Sandman,” when they were just kids in 2014. Ever since, they’ve released acclaimed albums like their debut XXI Century Blood (2017), ERROR (2022), and their latest bilingual LP Keep Me Fed (2024), which earned them a Latin Grammy nods for best rock song. Throughout their career, they’ve shared the stage with rock giants like Guns N’ Roses and Foo Fighters. -Isabela Raygoza
Eight9FLY (Prescription Songs)

Image Credit: Prescription Songs

Prescription Songs has signed Eight9FLY, a UK-based songwriter, co-producer and artist of Nigerian heritage known for his acumen in Afrobeats, R&B, hip-hop, pop and dance. Brought in by vp of A&R Eddie Fourcell and A&R manager Cameron Kooklanfar, Eight9FLY boasts credits on WizKid’s Made in Lagos, including “Smile” ft. H.E.R., and tracks for KAYTRANADA, Central Cee and KSI. “This partnership with Prescription is a blessing and a huge opportunity for me as an artist and songwriter,” said Eight9FLY. “I’m excited to lock in with the team, and I’m confident we’ll be celebrating a lot of wins on this journey together.”
Believe Joins ICMP

Global music publishing trade body ICMP has welcomed Believe Music Publishing as a worldwide member, adding the company to its “professional membership” ranks. The move gives Believe access to ICMP’s advocacy, legal, anti-piracy and data initiatives, along with participation in groups focused on metrics legal issues, and regional groups across the Americas, Europe, APAC and Africa. ICMP represents nearly 90% of commercially released music worldwide. Believe executives called the partnership “a very exciting development” and said they were “delighted to join ICMP” to help tackle industry challenges and better serve songwriters globally. ICMP Director General John Phelan praised Believe as “an outstanding music company,” while chair Jackie Alway said the board looks forward to working together on key industry issues.
Bipolar Sunshine (Maison Artis)

Image Credit: Maison Artis

Bipolar Sunshine has signed with Maison Artis in collaboration with Kobalt. Born Adio Marchant, the UK-born, LA-based artist has collaborated on DJ Snake’s platinum hit “Middle,” Beyoncé and WizKid’s Grammy-winning “Brown Skin Girl,” and Jung Kook’s “Please Don’t Change.” Marchant’s own work explores vulnerability and hope, with his latest single “Paradise” debuting live before 80,000 fans in Paris.
IMPF’s Annual Report

Image Credit: David Bassett/Getty Images

Independent music publishers generated 2.7 billion euros globally in 2024, up 5.1% year over year, according to IMPF’s latest Global Market View, maintaining a 26.3% share of the global publishing market. Since IMPF began tracking the sector in 2018, independent revenues have grown 116%, including a 60.7% rise since 2020, fueled largely by digital income. Europe remains the strongest region, with 6.445 billion euros in collections, up 7.3% year on year and accounting for more than half of global revenues, followed by North America at 3.509 billion euros. The report flags key challenges, including royalty distribution gaps caused by inefficiencies at CMOs and the under-monetization of non-pop genres. It also warns that AI-generated music poses a growing threat. Meanwhile, expanding investment in Latin America, Asia, and Africa is expected to drive future growth. “Europe’s position as the world’s leading region for music royalties is no coincidence,” said IMPF board member Claudia Mescoli. “It is the result of strong copyright protection, robust licensing frameworks and well-developed collective management infrastructures that ensure creators and rightsholders are properly rewarded.”
ICYMI: Guy and Carianne

Image Credit: Gilbert Flores for Billboard

On the latest episode of Kristin Robinson’s On the Record podcast, Warner Chappell Music leaders Guy Moot and Carianne Marshall broke down the booming business of Christmas music … In other WCM news, the company’s Nashville unit signed Margo Price to a global publishing deal, while her longtime collaborator Jeremy Ivey secured an administration agreement … and Chic legend Nile Rodgers was honored by the Music Publishers Association (MPA) in London.